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Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including the new Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, along with Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. Beyond being a successful author, Laura is also the host of the podcast Before Breakfast, as well as the co-host of Best of Both Worlds with Sarah Hart-Unger.

Whether you’re following an overly strict schedule or absolutely no schedule at all, there is one common experience: YEARS go by and you are left with very few (if any) memorable, meaningful moments. In order to “survive” our busy schedules, it seems that we get stuck in a time loop of tasks, interspersed with eating (poorly) and sleeping (not enough). Then we repeat - for decades. But as you’ll learn in my conversation with Laura, there are simple ways we can structure our lives so that we don’t have to choose between reaching our goals and living a present, purposeful life.

If you’re ready to stop letting life pass you by with your head down assessing to-do lists, this conversation is a must-listen. Laura shares simple ways in which we can use time tracking and habit formation not only to “get more done” but to make sure we aren’t missing our lives as we strive to reach our goals. I personally found Laura’s advice game changing and can’t wait for you to hear our conversation.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

Laura shares her 9 ways to calm the chaos and make time for what matters (that are absolutely game changing)
Why avoiding using a “strict” schedule actually sets you up for more success (and how to find that balance)
The problem with striving for “work-life balance” and what you should actually be striving for instead
What “batching” means and how it is an absolute game changer to your schedule (and sanity)
How to build a schedule in such a way that your projects and goals stay on track even when obstacles get in the way
The difference between daily habits and regular habits (does 3 days a week even count in the eyes of an expert)
How to maintain habits without feeding your perfectionism and adding more stress to your life
How you can both build and follow daily routines without feeling bored and eventually quitting
Why making more memorable moments can completely change your perception of time (and how you can get started today)
The two specific things that keep us addicted to busy-ness and doing too many things, and how we can break that pattern

Useful Resources Mentioned:

The Four Tendencies Quiz

Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters

Continue to Listen & Learn

Ep75: The Four Tendencies’ (aka ‘The Matrix’ For Understanding Yourself & Others) | with Gretchen Rubin

Ep04: The Zen-like Art of 'Getting Things Done' | with David Allen

Ep144: Redefining What It Means to Be “Productive” (and Aligning Your Values With Your Time) | with Tamara Torres

Ep202: Let’s Stop Talking About “Productivity” and Start Talking About Balance | with Mike Vardy

Ep128: How to Have a Successful Career Without Sacrificing Family | with Farrel Levy

Guest Bio:

laura-vanderkam-bio Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including the new Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, along with Juliet’s School of Possibilities, Off the Clock, I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and 168 Hours. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She is the host of the podcast Before Breakfast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of the podcast Best of Both Worlds. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children, and blogs at LauraVanderkam.com.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Ep203: Using Time Tracking and Habit Formation to Create Moments That Matter | with Laura Vanderkam

The Zack Arnold Podcast